The Holiday From Hell
by Netrixie
Summary: In which Harry yells, Sirius is embarrassed, and Severus is snuggled on. Snarry, slash, SSHP-- good bye, dear readers...this is MannyWitch- i fixed the underlines and italics- sorry about that...


**Disclaimer: **By the time you read this I will be safely ensconced in Army National Guard Basic Training. Which is, by the way, a totally American function. I am not J.K.

**Title: **The Holiday From Hell

**Summary: **In which Harry yells, Sirius is embarrassed, and Severus is snuggled on. Snarry, slash, SSHP-- good bye, dear readers.

**Dedication: **This is for **Supernaturellvr**, who- as per my offer- was one of the first people to review on ch22 of 'The Ties That Bind'. I hope you like it!

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Sirius glanced over to Remus as that greasy old bat rose from the table, a smile lingering on his face. Remus sighed and shook his head in resignation, but waved his hand at Sirius in a semblance of permission. It was really 'don't include me in this.'

Sirius grinned.

"Yo, Snivellus!" Snape stopped at the name, and glanced over his shoulder with a thunderous expression on his face. Everyone in the room who had been his students flinched, but Sirius' grin widened.

"What could you possibly want with me, you mangy mutt?" Snape's voice was sharp and the majority of those present- even those who were much older than the man- drew away from him.

"Well, I was wondering why you were here." Sirius gestured to the table of Grimmauld Place, bringing his attention to the fact that the entire Weasley family, Hermione, Harry, Tonks, Moody, Minerva, Albus, Kingsley, and even Dung were present. "You obviously don't fit in, and you never enjoy yourself to begin with." The Animagus' attempt at an innocent expression failed pitifully. "Why do you put yourself through the pain?"

Snape raised a single brow at his own schoolyard rival, and glanced pointedly at Dumbledore. "I do believe I've never had a choice in the matter." He didn't give Sirius time to say anything else, sweeping out of the room imperiously. Minerva glared at her former student, but refrained from speaking. Nothing she'd ever said on this subject had had an impact.

Harry, however, had no such compunctions.

"Sirius," the teen began, leaning over the table to get a good look at his Godfather, "can I ask you something?" Harry barely flinched as Hermione's foot connected with his knee, instead just sending her a strained-yet-polite smile.

"Of course, Harry! What can I do for you?"

Harry took his time answering, glancing around the table for a moment. "Well, you see, ever since I've known you and Snape you've always picked on him." Sirius' face shuttered at the words, but Harry cocked his head innocently and asked, "If he's the one risking his life to bring us the information, why do you treat him like shit?"

Molly gasped at Harry's language, but no one spoke. Actually, most people were looking away from the confrontation, trying not to notice the argument brewing it their midst. Hermione and Remus sighed at the same time, and glanced at each other with commiserating expressions. The things they had to put up with.

"I treat him that way because he decided to join He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named rather than do the honorable thing and fight him." Sirius' voice was strained as the long-fought over issue was raised. Harry nodded slowly.

"So you ridicule him day and night for the one mistake he made twenty years ago, and yet when he risks his life to get you vital information, you don't change the way you act to him?"

Sirius threw down his napkin and stood, furious. "He's a lying, cheating scumbag, Harry! How can you not see that?!"

Harry had stood in response to Sirius' remarks, but as he went to reply, Dumbledore raised his hand. Only after the two had glanced over to him did he speak. "I think that's enough for now." Sirius clenched his jaw and nodded, but Harry looked at the Headmaster for a moment."You know what? I don't think so." The silent table looked up in shock as Harry turned his attention back to Sirius and shook his head. "I think that this is precisely the right time for this. It's almost Christmas, Sirius. Do you remember what the season means? Forgiveness and fellowship, that's what." Harry rested both hands on the table and leaned forward, staring his Godfather down. "You act like it's such a shame that Snape is here, but at least he is polite- if sarcastic- to everyone. You're the one who starts the fights, but you can never finish them. Don't you notice that you never get the last word? That it's always Snape who comes out on top?"

Sirius had been turning red for the duration of Harry's speech, but the last part broke his composure. "How dare you?" he hissed, narrowing his eyes at Harry who glared fearlessly back. "How dare you take his side in this? How dare you, when he was the one who sold out your parents?!"

Harry ignored the others as they backed their chairs away from the table, and leaned closer to Sirius, his anger finally getting the best of him. "I dare, Sirius, because he has more than repaid that debt. Haven't you seen me recently? Am I still alive? Well you can thank Snape for that! He has sacrificed his own safety over and over to make sure I stay alive, and I will not have you lessen his achievements!"

Dumbledore tried once more to intervene, but both of the men turned to him with furious expressions and he held up his hands. Hermione pursed her lips as the Headmaster let the fight escalate, and sat back in her chair, the only one- besides Remus- who hadn't moved. Neither Harry nor Sirius would dare even think to hurt them, of that they were sure.

"You ungrateful brat! You think that just because someone does something nice once they could be totally changed?" Sirius shook his head in exasperation. "Are you a fool, Harry? How could you possibly think that that man has in anyway changed from the man he was twenty years ago?"

Harry slammed his hand down on the table, the loud crack! startling those still listening. "Godammit, Sirius! In all the years you've been fleeing from the Ministry for something you didn't do, have you ever thought that anyone else is in your situation? Everything is about you! 'I hate Snivellus', 'I want that old bat out of my house'. I, I, I!" Harry paused to take a breath and added, "You're in the wrong here, Sirius, and for once I'm going to say what I think. Severus Snape deserves respect from us, and we should damn well give it to him! And for once in your life, will you care about something other than what you want?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at the dramatics, agreeing with every word her friend had said but not the publicity of it. For Merlin's Sake, couldn't he have done this in private? But something caught the corner of her eye, and she raised a brow at what she saw. Snape was standing in the dark doorway, mostly unseen, watching the shouting match. What surprised Hermione, though, was the complete lack of emotion on his face -though his hand was twisted in his robes. And he didn't notice her… Hermione frowned as she looked back at Harry, thinking.

"I care about others! How else do you think my house is used for the Order meetings! I gave up everything so that the Order could use this place- letting myself be locked inside as no more than a criminal might so that the Secret would be safe!"

Harry reared away from the table, pissed off. "Oh my God! Can you hear yourself right now? I just said to stop making it about you! Yet every sentence you've just uttered was about you! Are you incompetent? Do you need a dictionary? Are you capable of thinking at all?"

Sirius shoved his chair from behind him and walked away from Harry, trying to quell the urge to hex the boy. "Why do you even care, Harry? After the way he's treated you, you should be happy that I treat him like the asshole he is." Sirius laughed, trying to break the tension. It didn't work. "I swear, Harry. It's like you… love… him or something!"

Sirius chuckled, glancing at Harry as if to invite the teen into the hilarity- trying to end their fight. But Harry let a smirk grow on his lips. "So what if I did, Sirius? What would you do, hmm?" Sirius' eyes widened but Harry went on, amused. "You wouldn't be able to say anything, would you? Sorry Remus," Harry said, glancing over at the werewolf, who shrugged. "But really Sirius, you two are so obvious it's cute. Everyone knows," he said as his Godfather blushed, "and yet we never said anything, did we? No. We respected you."

Harry paused. "And yet- you cannot even respect the actions of the man who risks everything everyday for all of us." Harry smiled, and it wasn't a nice smile. "So tell me, Siri, is it alright for us to ridicule you now since we know you've been in a relationship with our Defense Professor? And you've never told us, thinking that that would happen?"

"N-no, Harry. It's not the same thing at all." Sirius stammered, unsure of where this new attack had come from. Harry laughed in disbelief.

"It's not the same thing? Respect is respect, Siri, and when you deserve it it should be given freely. Granted," and Harry gestured to the students who'd had to deal with the man as a teacher, "we treat him like shit, but we've earned the right to, having had to put up with him for seven years." A few chuckles sounded from the Hogwarts grads and current students, and Harry continued. "You, however, haven't. You haven't so much as said 'hello' to him in years, possibly ever."

A contemplative look came over Harry's face, and he walked away from the table, glancing around the room. Everyone was still there, watching the fight with the same fascination a train crash incites. He grinned briefly- Hermione would have gotten that.

"It's fascinating that the first thing you say when trying to break up our little… discussion … is that I might possibly be in love with him. Because obviously, I must have to love him in order to defend him." Harry cocked his head. "Cause that makes perfect sense," he added sarcastically, and smirked at Sirius as the other's flush deepened.

"You're impossible, Harry! How can you laugh about something like this?" Sirius gestured widely, encompassing their entire conversation and situation.

Harry frowned mock-thoughtfully. "What's that phrase? I'm laughing so I'm not crying?"

"Why would you be crying?" Sirius asked, glaring at Harry.

"How much denser can you be?" Harry shouted, throwing his hands up in the air and turning away from Sirius. The others watched, wondering where this was going and when it was going to end. Though they hadn't been fighting for that long… everyone wanted this resolved. "My Godfather is a bigoted asshole who can't be shitted to respect a man risking his life. My Potions Master is my lover who serves the man I'm supposed to kill, said Godfather hates him, and I'm stuck in the fuckin middle! It's a frickin wonder I'm not as insane as the rest of this family!"

The silence as Harry's words sank in was thick, Sirius and others staring at the heaving teen in shock. "You know what?" Harry said, raising his hands in surrender, "I'm leaving. I don't want to deal with this, and I certainly don't have to. Goodbye."

But before Harry could go anywhere, Sirius exploded. "Your what?! He's your what? Are you insane? Are you mental? He's twenty years older than you! He went to school with your father!"

Harry stared- wide eyed. But as Sirius continued to rage, he grew angrier. "How dare you," he said, his voice shaking with rage. "How dare you. You know nothing about me. The only time I see or hear from you is the rare times I come here. Don't presume to know anything about me other than my lineage." A gentle hand landed on Harry's shoulder as Sirius' face went white, and Severus leaned down to whisper in the teen's ear.

"Let's just go, Harry. Obviously, we're no longer wanted."

Harry nodded, and the two men left, leaving behind open jaws and eyes that no longer twinkled. Sirius glanced around the table as others began leaving, and spread his hands. "Where are you all going?" he asked plaintively, but no one responded. Most gave Remus a sad look, which was returned, but no one answered the Animagus. Even the twins- who had been uncharacteristically silent- glared at Sirius.

With the way the war had been going Harry had needed a break from the tension of fighting. Everyone had known that. But Sirius had ruined his Godson's holiday, and the only time the teen could think of something besides Voldemort.

--- --- ---

"Sirius, you have to understand one thing in life." Remus' voice was stern, a rare thing, and Sirius shifted uneasily as his partner continued. "Harry is your only family. He is your Godson. No matter what sexual orientation he is, and no matter who he chooses as a partner, you will accept it." Remus paused, adding after a moment, "Unless it's Voldemort. Then, we'll talk."

Sirius nodded obediently, and looked up at Remus. "So… I guess I'll have to find a way to apologise to everyone?" Remus glared, and Sirius quickly added, "and Snape?"

"Yes. And quickly- I don't want this to cloud the air anymore than it already has." Sirius nodded again and Remus glanced at him in consideration. "Alright," Remus sighed, "let's go to bed."

Sirius perked right up. "Thank you Remus," he said, smiling widely. Remus shook his head in exasperation, but followed the other man up the stairs. Sometimes you just had to understand that Sirius was Sirius, and nothing would change him.

--- --- ---

Harry curled into Severus' lap, letting angry and frustrated tears run down his face. The older man just held him, slowly running his hand up and down the Gryffindor's back in support. "I don't know what's worse," Harry said, glancing up at Severus through his wet lashes, "the fact that I told everyone, or the fact that Sirius is a bigoted fool."

"I vote the latter," Severus said, his deep voice reassuring Harry as the teen pressed his head against the warm, solid chest.

Harry chuckled brokenly. "You would."

Severus reached up with one of his hands and lifted Harry's chin, smiling gently into the watery emerald eyes. Very carefully Severus began to wipe away the tears, and Harry's eyes shut at the tenderness of the action. A few more tears spilled from under his lashes, and Severus wiped them away as well, his thumb warm and soft against Harry's cheek. Only when all the tears had been smoothed away did Severus stop, and gather Harry closer to his chest, beginning again his soothing back rub.

The silence stretched on, until Severus stopped his hands motions and briskly patted Harry's back. "Alright, Potter. Up. I will be damned if I fall asleep on the couch again." Harry snorted in remembrance, but stood. They made their way to Severus' bedroom, and Harry smiled as he took in the familiar surroundings. Spinners End was the perfect place to hide- no one but Dumbledore knew where it was, and he certainly wasn't coming here tonight. Not after that fiasco.

In moments Harry was naked and in the bed, pressed up against Severus' side as the older man killed the lights. Severus let a deep breath out, before dragging Harry over to him and pressing a kiss to his lips. "Well," he began after he had pulled away, "now that everyone who matters knows… will you move in with me?"Harry stared at the man, eyes wide. Severus' eyes were solemn, deep, and Harry began to smile as he realised the older man was quite serious. "Yes," he answered, and grinned as Severus let out a slight breath, "of course!"

"Good," Severus said gruffly, wrapping his arms around his Gryffindor, "I want to keep you." Harry chuckled and snuggled into the warm body surrounding him, exhaling deeply as the upsetting memories of earlier were replaced with better ones.

"Good night, Sev," Harry murmured, and Severus smiled.

"Good night, love."

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End file.
